The first set of flags are woven!

July 29th.
Yesterday I completed the first set of prayer flags and shipped them off to Philadelphia for the "Peace and Politics" exhibit at the Philadelphia convention center. Learn more about this exhibit www.AmericanMadeAlliance.org

Here is a photo of the four flags hanging in my yard. I am pleased with the flags and am ready to invite weavers to join me. I welcome help with preparing the messages for weaving, with the weaving, the finishing and the sending them out to the world. In order to allow each helper a quality time in my studio, I ask that you email me to sign up for a date. The dates that are open are July 31, August 12,14, 26, 28. My plan is to keep Tuesday and Thursday afternoons as Woven Voices studio days. I look forward to your help!

On August 11th, I will be back in Market Square reading and gathering messages. Please join me, help read, solicit messages from the public or just listen. I am also looking for help with documenting this event. Is there anyone who might be able to video tape this event ? I am ever grateful for all the support and help each of you has provided for this interactive global art project.

Namaste, Sarah

Keep the messages coming!

This photo is from July 11th's event.

The day after the amazing event in Portsmouth, I left for a week's vacation. Each year I go to a remote island in Maine with a diverse group of women. We swim, eat, chant, sing, write, draw, sleep and hike. It is heaven.

I am filled with new energy and commitment to the Woven Voices project. An exciting piece of news is that the first series of flags have been accepted in an exhibit in Philadelphia called "Peace and Politics~an artists' agenda for America". For anyone in the Philly area the show is August 2-4 at the Philadelphia Convention Center. Here is the link: http://www.americanmadealliance.org/events.htm#

On Friday I will begin the weaving. After I have worked out the basic design, I will begin inviting the community to come to my studio to help weaving the prayer flags.

On August 11th, I will return to Market Square in Portsmouth to continue reading the messages. Please keep them coming. Spread the invitation to participate. The more messages the better for this beautiful earth we all inhabit.

Namaste, Sarah

400 messages have been read !

By all accounts, yesterday was a total success. I arrived at market Square in Portsmouth about 11:30. I sat patiently waiting to see who would show up. On the next bench was a homeless woman dressed in a heavy overcoat with an overflowing push cart parked next to her. After a few minutes she approached me and said "Nice bags" (commenting on my large size LL Bean bags). From there we launched into a conversation about bags to carry things and then about my project. I asked her to contribute a message of hope. She hesitated and then with a little encouragement and help with spelling she wrote "I hope that all the people will pull together when things gets rougher." This was a blessed beginning to giving voice to all the prayers of the world.

By 1:30 over 400 messages had been read by a collection of people ranging in age from 3 years to 80. There were tourists from as far away as Jerusalem and as close as a Portsmouth day camp. Friends and family joined me to read and to pause a reflect. Again, I am ever grateful for the help of Bill Rogers for helping me to document this event. Stay tuned for video clips and photos of this beautiful day in Market Square. If any of you reading this blog were there and took photos...please send me a few!

I plan to come back to market Square on August 11th to continue reading messages. Around July 28th I will be inviting the community to join me in weaving the prayer flags in my York studio.

Here are links to two wonderful newspaper articles about the project:
Thank you to all who help read and who listened. Many heartfelt blessings and thoughts of gratitude.

Sarah

Read the story.

http://www.seacoastonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080712/NEWS/807120321/-1/NEWS09&sfad=1
http://www.seacoastonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080710/NEWS/807100414

700 messages of peace

Yesterday I finally completed cataloguing all the messages of hope and peace I have received so far. And to my surprise there are well over 700 !

I have cleared with the city of Portsmouth NH to hold a "street performance" on July 11th at noon in Market Square to read aloud these positive messages. The public is invited to come listen, help read these messages, or contribute a positive message to be included in this interactive global art project. I am grateful to my friend Bill Rogers of Coruway Film Institute, Court Street Media, in Portsmouth for helping me to document this part of the Woven Voices project. Check out his website ~ http://www.coruway.org/

After the messages have been read, they will be cut into strips and hand woven into brightly colored prayer flags back at my studio. As the flags are completed, they will be sent back to those who contributed messages. These colorful hand woven flags will be hung outside in communities around the world to fade, unravel and release the messages of hope, peace and renewal.

Happy 4th of July to you all. Peace, Sarah